FUNCTIONAL ORGANIZATION OF NEURAL CIRCUITS IN THE MOUSE ACCESSORY OLFACTORY BULB

项目摘要/摘要 这项研究和培训计划的总体目标是更好地了解组织和 鼠标辅助嗅觉系统(AOS)的功能。AOS是一条紧凑的神经通路， 直接与管理所谓的“内在”社会和生殖行为的大脑区域进行交流。通过 增加对小鼠AOS感觉处理的知识，这个项目将阐明 哺乳动物的嗅觉，并将提高我们对感觉和行为之间联系的理解。 研究人员朱利安·米克斯博士将获得长达两年的设计高级博士后培训 并实现了平面照明显微镜和转基因小鼠的创新支持 用神经元活体钙成像研究小鼠副嗅觉抑制性中间神经元的方法 灯泡。为这次培训选择了两个赞助商，蒂莫西·克里斯蒂博士和丹尼尔·克申斯泰纳博士，他们已经 分别在光学设计和转基因小鼠生产领域有丰富经验。 在该奖项的指导和独立阶段，将检验几个假设。一条主干道 假说将感觉“感受野”与大脑中的轴突投射模式联系起来。测试其他几个 假说将确定不同中间神经元群体的特定感觉处理角色。 附属嗅球。检验这些假说将建立哺乳动物社会气味的原理 并将帮助我们理解抑制性神经元为感觉神经提供的功能 电路。通过这项研究和有指导的培训计划，米克斯博士将提供有关AOS的有价值的新数据 并将建立新的实验工具和方法，这些工具和方法将为 独立科学家的职业生涯。

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT The overall goal of this research and training plan is to gain better understanding of the organization and function of the mouse accessory olfactory system (AOS). The AOS is a compact neural pathway that communicates directly with brain regions that govern so-called "intrinsic" social and reproductive behaviors. By increasing knowledge about sensory processing in the mouse AOS, this project will shed light on principles of mammalian olfaction, and will improve our understanding of links between sensation and behavior. The investigator, Dr. Julian Meeks, will gain up to two years of advanced postdoctoral training in the design and implementation of planar illumination microscopy and transgenic mice in support of an innovative approach using live neuronal calcium imaging to study inhibitory interneurons in the mouse accessory olfactory bulb. Two sponsors for this training were chosen, Dr. Timothy Holy and Dr. Daniel Kerschensteiner, that have strong experience in the fields of optical design and transgenic mouse production, respectively. Several hypotheses will be tested during the mentored and independent phases of this award. One main hypothesis links sensory "receptive fields" to axonal projection patterns in the brain. Testing several other hypotheses will identify specific sensory processing roles for the various interneuron populations in the accessory olfactory bulb. Testing these hypotheses will establish principles of mammalian social odor processing, and will help us to understand the functions that inhibitory neurons provide for sensory neural circuits. Through this research and mentored training plan, Dr. Meeks will produce valuable new data on AOS sensory processing, and will establish new experimental tools and approaches that will form a foundation for a career as an independent scientist.